Drone strikes reported on 3 tankers in Black Sea near Turkish coast
A boat with Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. officials heads to the Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, to check if the grain shipment is in accordance with a crucial agreement signed last month by Moscow and Kyiv, at an inspection area in the Black Sea off the coast of Istanbul, Türkiye, Aug. 3, 2022. (AP Photo)


Three tankers operating in the Black Sea near Türkiye’s northern coast were reportedly targeted in drone attacks Thursday, a shipping agency said, though all crew members were reported safe.

The tanker James II, sailing under the Palau flag and in ballast, was ⁠some 50 miles (80 km) north of the Türkeli Area in the Black Sea when the incident occurred, the agency said.

The tankers Altura and Velora, sailing under the Sierra Leone flag and in ballast, ⁠were reportedly ⁠attacked in a nearby area while doing a ship-to-ship operation, the agency also said.

Coastal safety boats were sent to the scene for assistance and all crew members in the ⁠tankers were reported in good condition, the agency said.

Moscow and Kyiv have frequently attacked one another's ports and tankers since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more ⁠than ‌four ‌years ago. Neither country ⁠immediately claimed responsibility for ‌the new reported attack.

The Turkish transport ministry was ⁠not immediately available for ⁠comment on the incidents due ⁠to the Muslim Eid holiday.